Printing interpreters



March 17, 1936. w w L K PRINTING INTERPRETERS Filed Oct. 12, 1952 '1 Shets$heet 1 INVENTOR V WILLIAM W-LASKER 1w ATTORNEY WITNESS March 17, 1936. w. w. LASKER I 2,034,104

PRINTING INTERP RETERS Filed Oct. 12, 1932- 16 Sheets-Sheet 2 lllllllllllllll mvEN'roR' WITNEDSS WILLIAM w.LAsKER M 8M MM AT TORNEY Filed Oct. 12, 1952 16 Shets-Sheet 3 I I H a 3 I l q? l n M I mmnlu/Imnm,-;,,, I mm/Mumm i i 4 i v f I i 1 Q3 l 1 9, i 3% '59,

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ATTORNEY March 17, 1936. w. w. LASKER 2,034,104

PRINTING INTERPRETERS I Filed Oct. 12, 1952 16 Sheets-Sheet 4 wrr s INVENTOR WILLIAM WILASKER IMMQM/ L W4 Aim ATTORNEY March 1936- w. w. LASKER 203,150

PRINTING INTERPRETERS Filed Oct. 12, 1952 16 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR WITNESS W.LA5KER MM 4M ATTORNEY March 17, 1936. w w K R 2,034,104

PRINTING INTERPRETERS Filed Oct. 12, 1932 16 Sheets-Sheet 6 WITNESS INVENTOR WILLIAM W.LASKER MMJKQ #1 am Mm ATTORNEY March 17, 1936. w L K R 2,034,104

PRINTING INTERP RETERS Filed Oct.- 12, 1952 1e sheets-sheet '7 "FITA lNVE NTOR WITNESS WILLIAM W.LAS KER mmg l a044,. 44/ 444a,-

AT TOR NEY I March 17, 1936. 4 w w K R 2,034,104- I PRINTING INTERERETERS Filed Oct. 12,- 1932 16 Sheets-Sheet 8 l llllllllllm/q/mwl/ll/m llllmm If) m EJQ INVENTOR ATTORNEY W IT NESS March 17, 1936. w; K R 2,034,104

PRINTING INTERPRETERS Filed Oct. 12, 1932 16 Sheets-Sheet 9 7 8 IO ll l2 l3 14 IS l6 l7 lB WITNESS. INVENTOR WILLIAM W.LASKER 1 aw W54 ATTORNEY March 17,1936.

w. w. LASKER 2,034,104

PRINTING INTERPRETERS Filed Oct. '12, 1952 16 Sheets-Sh eet 1o WITNESS INVENTORA v WILLIAM W.LASKER ATTORNEY March 17, 1936. w. w; LASK-ER 2,034,104

PRINTING INTERPRETERS Filed Oct. 12, 1952 16 sheets-sheet 11 Q I m-m mill mum mum MIDI! f IIIIIIIIIL WILLIAM W.'LASKER MAW. mm

ATTORNEY March 17', 1936. w. w. LASKER PRINTING INTERPRETERS 1e SheetsL-Shet 12 Filed Oct. 12, 1952 INVENTOR WlLLlAM W.LASK ER- 1 ea... 1/1/14;

ATTORNEY March 1936. .w. w; LASK ER PRINTING INTERPRETERS 16 Sheis-Sheet '15 Filed Oct. 12. 1932 nllllullln- INVENTOR" WILLIAM W.LASKER 441. 4/

- WITNESS ATTORNEY March 17, 1936. w w LASKER 2,034,104

PRINTING INTERPRETERS Filed Oct. 12, 1932 l6 Sheets-Sheet 14 mi m INC

' EMINGTQ'}! B KE INVENTOR WILLIAM W.LASKER ATTORNEY March 17, 1936. w w; LASKER 2,034,104

PRINTING INTERPRETERS Filed Oct. 12, 1932.

16 Sheets-Sheet 15 WITNESS INVENTOR WILLIAM W.L'.ASKER MW- m //m ATTORNEY March 17, 1936.

w. w. LASKER 2,034,104

PRINTING INTERPRETERS Filed Oct. 12, 1932 16 Sheets-Sheet 16 UPPER Fl E LD LOWER FIE LD ABG DEFGHiJ UPPER.

Fl ELD LOWER FIE LD INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 17, 1936 NETE PRINTING INTERPRETERS tion of Delaware Application October 12, 1932, Serial No 637,401

13 Claims.

One object of my invention is to devise a machine which will print an interpretation of the perforations in a tabulating machine card, directly upon said card.

Ancther object of my invention is to print interpretation of the perforations in a tabulating card irrespective of the system or code by which the perforations were generated.

Another object of my invention is to print the interpretations on a tabulating machine card which has been perforated according to variable codes.

Another object of my invention is to print interpretations of perforations representing alphabetic characters.

Another object of my invention is to print an interpretation of perforations in either a numerical or an alphabetic code irrespective of the system which generated the perforations.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for printing an interpretation of perforations in any field of the card and to adapt the machine to print the interpretations and perforations in the same field when perforated according to a difierent code.

Another object of my invention is to simplify the main driving mechanism of card controlled machines.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for disabling the printing mechanism when a card is absent.

Another object of my invention is to stop the machine when there is no card in either the magazine, the sensing chamber, or the printing chamber.

Another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved ink ribbon feeding and reverse mechanism. Other and subsidiary'objections will appear as the specification proceeds.

Fig. l is a diagrammatic isometric view of the entire machine.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic isometric view of the mac he with the covers open so as to expose the working parts of the machine.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the switch side of the machine.

Fig. 4 is a typical section of the machine showing the card picking mechanism, the sensing mechanism and the printing mechanism.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the ribbon reverse switch side of the machine.

Fig. 6 is a section of the machine through the sensing mechanism,

"r. 7 is a section of the machine through the printing mechanism. a

Fig. 8 is a view of i an element for interpreting upper and lower 90-column perforations.

Fig. 9'is an isometric view of the card picker eccentric.

Fig. 10 is an isometric view of. the card stop cam.

Fig. 11 is an isometric view of the printing cam.

Fig. 12 is an isometric view of the sensing box cam.

Fig. 13 is a diagram of the cam timing of the machine.

Fig. 14 is a side view of an alphabet interpreting printing element.

Fig. 15 is an isometric view of upper and lower QO-column numerical interpreting element.

mcrical interpreting element.

Fig. 17 is a top plan view of the main shaft and its cams.

Fig. 18 is an isometric view of the printing platen and a portion of the ribbon mechanism.

Fig. 19 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 18.

Fig. 20 is an isometric view of the ribbon crossover.

Fig. 21 is an isometric view of the ribbon reverse assembly.

Fig. 22 is an elevation of mechanism of view 19.

Fig. 23 is an exploded isometric view of elements constituting a portion of the ribbonreverse mechanism.

Fig. 24 is-a diagram of a fragment of a card illustrating different perforations and their printed interpretations.

Fig. 25 is a plan view of the stops used with the combination perforations for 90-co1umn codes.

Fig. 26 is a side view of an element for interpreting a three hole alphabetic combination code.

Fig. 27 is a diagram of the stops used in Fig. 26.

Fig. 28 is a developed view of the various printing wheels of the interpreting elements.

Fig. 29 is a view of a card, perforated accord- Fig. 16 is an isometric view of a 45-column nuing to the straight, or 45 column, code, showing the perforations and the corresponding interpreter printing thereon.

Fig. 30 is a view of a card, perforated according to the 45 column alphabetic code, showing the perforations therein indicative of the several items and the interpreter printing thereon.

Fig. 31 is a view of a card, perforated according to the combination for 90 column code, and the corresponding interpreter printing thereon.

Fig. 32 is a view of a card containing control perforations and the interpreter printing corresponding thereto.

Fig. 33 is a view of a card, perforated according to-the alphabetic three-hole code and the interpreter printing corresponding thereto.

Referring to Fig. 1 it is seen that the machine is supported by a suitable leg base frame I, the

upper portion of which supports an electric driving motor indicated by the presence of a connecting electric cord and plug. The'working parts of the machine are enclosed by a pair of swinging covers 2, and lids 3. Fig. 2 shows the covers 2 and the lids 3 swung outwardly so as to expose the working parts of the machine. Suitable bosses are provided for limiting the inward movement of the lids 3, and each of the covers 2 are provided with a usual form of spring catch 4 which cooperates with holes in the main frame of the machine to retain the covers in the position shown in Fig. 1. One of the covers is provided with a spring-pressed lever 5 for either starting or stopping the machine. The operation of the covers 2 may be likened to that of an ordinary Boston bag or pocket-book. Located on the lid 3 is the usual angle plate for justifying the cards prior to placing them in the magazine 6.

The frame of the machine is a usual form of skeletonized box comprising a base or bottom, sides, and ends which support the various studs, bearings for shafts, anchorages for springs, etc. Fixed to the base is a housing forthe worm drive and guiding studs or parts, for the reciprocating pin box assembly, and for the reciprocating printing platen. Hereinafter it will be tacitly assumed that all removable elements are supported by the framework, that sub-frames are supported thereby, that all springs have one end anchored to the framework, etc., according to common machine vconstructional practice, unless the contrary is specifically mentioned.

V General operation of the machine The cards to be interpreted are stacked and weighted in the magazine 6 (Fig. 4) and are fed successively from the; bottom of the stack by a power reciprocated picker 1; thence through a usual form of adjustable throat opening; thence to'the first of a series of pairs of continuouslyrotating feed rolls 8; thence into the sensing chamber 9 which consists of a pair of matched perforated plates having their perforations at positions corresponding to every possible perforation in a card.- The lower matched plate of the sensing chamber 9 lies slightly above the sensing pins of the reciprocatory sensing box 10 when said box is in its lowest position; said box also carries the. card stop l2. Located at the extreme ends of the sensing chamber 9 is a pair of skid rolls 8' (Fig. 6) for feeding a card after it has left the first pair of feed rolls 8. The sensing box I3 (Fig. 4) rises so that the card stop I2 is in a path of the card before it has reached the position for sensing, but the pins of the pin box do not pass the top plane of the lower matched plate until after the card has reached the card stop i2 and universal bar 30 has reached its rearmost position (to the left as viewed in Fig. 3, or to the right as viewed in Fig. 8). Continued upward movement of thesensing box causes certain of the sensing pins H to find the perforations in the card, and further upward movement causes the pins H which have found perforations to elevate the corresponding spring-pressed intermediate pins I4 which, in turn, are latched by spring pressed slides 15 in their elevated positions at about the time the sensing box ID has reached its extreme upward position; thus the perforations in the card are finally represented by latched intermedilatching slide. Adjusting-screws'are used to regulate the tension of plate 2 I. The box l0 descends to remove the card stop 12 and this permits the skid rolls 8' to feed the card-into the second pair of feed rolls 8; thence into the printing chamber IS. The printing chamber !6 consists of'an upper plate with an opening for type wheels and the lower part consists of a substantial casting IT in which are embodied resilient printing pads I8.

Also mounted at the extreme sides of the printing chamber is a pair of skid rolls B' similar to those used in the sensing box for feeding the card against the pre-positioned card stops 20 and also out of the printing chamber, when the said card stops are withdrawn, thence to the last pair of feed rolls 8 which eject the printed interpreted card into a suitably locatedstorage magazine.

I The driving of the pairs of feed rolls 8, the reciprocations of the picker I; of the sensing box ii); of the platen ll; of the card stops I2 and 2|! and the operation of the ink ribbon mechanism are controlled from the main shaft 22. The main shaft 22 is driven from a suitably located electric motor (indicated by a conventional diagram, Fig. 3) through a belt, worm and worm wheel, the latter of which is attached near the center of the main shaft 22 as is best shown in Fig. 17.

Adiacent the housingof the worm drive is attached the picker eccentric 23 (see also Figs. 9 and 17) which causes the picker 1 tobe reciprocated through the medium of a link surrounding said eccentric and a motion multiplying shaft and arm mechanism 24 (Fig. 4) which is directly connected by a short link to the picker 1. Hence,

the picker 1 makes a complete reciprocation for each rotation of the main shaft 22. Adjacent the worm drive housing is a cam 62 (see also Fig. 1'!) for governing the card stop for the printing mechanism. Said cam is adapted to oscillate an arm fixed to a sleeve pivoted on an intermediate shaft. Two arms fixed to said sleeve extend rearwardly to support a bail on which is pivoted a pair of symmetrically arranged spring urged card stops 20 (see Figs. 7 and 18 and 19) which are projected and withdrawn at the proper times from the path of the card as it travels through the printing chamber.

The card stops 20 of the printing mechanism are resiliently urged rearwardly by spring plungers contained in the massive part of the printing platen block I! so that they will normally take a position corresponding to an extreme rearward one, which corresponds to the lowest possible print position on the card. As shown in Figs. 4, 18 and 19 each card stop 20 is provided with an extended heel near its pivot point. The card stops 28 can therefore be shoved against their springs by an adjustable universal bail 49 to regulate or determine the position on the card in the printing chamber which will receive the imprint. The rearwardly extending stem of the bail 49 is provided with slotted openings through which pass clamping screws for adjusting the said bail. This adjustment is desirable for locating the printing of the interpretation on a part of the card where there are no perforations. However, the majority of cards have no perforations along the 12 row or along the 12 and 4 rows, hence neatness of the interpreted card suggests a lowering of the printing line, therefore the described adjusting mechanism is ineluded.

Near the ends of the main shaft 22 is a pair of gears 26, each of which drives a shaft 21, one on each side of the machine (see Figs. 3, 5, 6,

and 17). Fixed to each shaft 27 is a series of gears for driving-the lower of the pairs of feed rolls 8. The first of the pairs of feed rolls 8 are positively geared together as shown in Fig. 3, but the upperrolls are usually driven by frictional engagement with the lower rolls or through the card as is shown in Fig. 13. Each shaft 21 drives the lower of the pair of skid rolls 8 in the sensing chamber and the pair of skid rolls 8 in the printing chamber in exactly the same manner as the lower of the pairs of rolls 8. The upper skid rolls 8 are frictionally driven as above described. In each case the frictio-nally driven rolls are mounted on spring urged frames, or levers as the case may be, as is the usual practice in perforated card controlled mechanisms.

Adjacent each gear 26 is a lobe shaped cam 28. Said cam 28 drives the reciprocating universal bar 30 (Figs. 3, 5, and 17) through a pair of links 3i which in.turn are pivoted at the upper end of the frame supported bell cranks 32, whose lower ends carry rollers riding on the peripheries of said cams 28. For the purpose of facilitating the change of interpreter slides, each link 3! is provided with a simple form of springpressed latch fitting into grooves on the universal bar 30 so that a manipulation similar to that of opening a cabinet door is suflicient to release the main restoring bar 30. This construction is desirable for, at times, it is necessary to remove, substitute, or replace one or more devices such as those illustrated in Figs. 8, 14 and 26, and the construction is such that the universal bar 30 lies beneath the actuating springs but over the measuring bars 36 of said members. Each cam 28 (see Figs. 8 and 17) carries a roller which rocks a frame-supported, spring-urged lever 33 for each rotation of the main shaft 22. The upper ends of said levers 33 are joined by a bar which is universal to the shorter arms of all of the bell cranks 39, hence rocking of levers 33 results in rocking bell cranks 39 and therefore,

'a positive lowering of all of the slidable stops 35. (Figs. 8, 14, 15 and 16.)

Fixed to the main shaft 22 is a pair of sensing box cams I8, (Figs. 12, 1'7) on which ride anti-friction rolls carried by a pair of long arms l9 (Figs. 18 and 19) pivoted near the rear of the machine on frame supported studs. The forward ends of said arms underlie studs fixed to the frame of the sensing box l0, (Fig. 6) hence said cams 18 rock said arms is to operate the sensing box during each rotation of the main shafts.

Adjacent the cams i8 is a pair of platen operating earns 55 (Figs. 4, 11, and 1'7) each rock a platen operating lever 53 to elevate the respective sides of the platen block H. The levers 53 are pivoted to studs integral with the platen block i7 and their extreme rear ends are pivoted to the upper ends of a pair of toggle links 538, whose lower arms are fixed to the shaft 52. When there is no card in the printing chamber a record presence sensing mechanism causes said toggles to be broken so that the platen block ll, although it started its upward excursion, is permitted to drop and remains in its lower-most position during an operation of the main shaft, if the said main shaft is kept in operation by holding lever 5 depressed. f

The frame of the sensing box i ii and the platen block I! are mounted on a pair of stout hollow posts (see Figs. 6 and 7)which are fixed to the base of the machine. These posts accurately guide these parts'in their reciprocatory movements so as to prevent a tendency to rock sidewise when sensing cards with a preponderance of perforations near one edge or when printing interpretations of alphabetic codes or -eolumn numerals. Extending through the center of each hollow post is a rod fixed to the respective reciprocating frames. The lower end of each or said rods is surrounded by a spring, which in turn is held in place by a nut.- These springs tend to hold the sensing box l0 and the. platen block ll in their lowermost positions, and thus hold arms i9 and 53 in engagement with their respective operating cams.

The card stop It is mounted on the sensing box Hi. It, therefore. follows that the movements of the latter closely simulate that used for the pin box of the familiar Power tabulator (see Powers Patent 1,245,502). The card stop 20 for the printing chamber is operated by a separate cam 62 shown in Figs. 10, 1'7, and 19. The cam 52 rocks its cooperating lever which is fixed to a sleeve surrounding the pivot shaft of the arms 53. The said sleeve carries an additional rearwardly extending arm to which is pivoted a siidable card stop 29 as Well as the rearward extension of the arm cooperating with cam 62 as is clearly shown in F gs. 18 and 19.

Adjacent one of the earns 28 is a ret-ractor cam 63 (see Figs. 2, 3, and 1'7) which, at times, operates a spring pressed lever (carried by the pivot of a bell crank 32); thence an adjustable link connected to a bell crank 84 attached to a frame supported retractor shaft, thence a retractor ball 65 which is universal to all the spring pressed slides I5. (See Fig. 4). Hence cam 43 is adapted to shift all of the locking slides 15, and, therefore, release all pins M which are elevated. The upper end of bell crank 44 is provided with a fin er piece for manually releasing the pins I 4 if the occasion so requires. A piniixed to cam 43 (Fig. 3) extends through a slot in the link 45. which in turn is connected by a spring and pin-in-slot joint to a T shaped lever 41. If the platen i! is traveling upwardly and a card is in the printing chamber I 6, the card-presence sensing pin (Fig. 19) will be elevated by said card, and through an offset lever Mill it will shift link 13 downwardly to block T shaped lever i! against movement. If 41 is blocked the machine will continue to operate and the platen i1 will"continue to rise to effect a printing operation. On the other hand if 41 rocks, then shaft 52, to which #1 is rigidly attached, will also be rocked and the toggle links (Fig. 4) between sa d shaft and the platen raising arms 53 will be broken and the platen I! will not impinge against the printing typesof the wheels 37. The lower arm oflever $1 is connected by a link 5d (Fig. 3) to a 7 bell crank which in turn releases a latch 55 in the switch box to break the c rcuit of the driving motor. Thus simple mechanism is provided to break the motor circuit and disable the platen when the printing chamber is empty. This c0nstrueticn avoidsfiouling of the platen ll.

Adjacent the other cam 28 is a ribbon feed cam 56 which operates a boomerang shaped-lever (carried by the pivot of bell crank 32) whose forward end is connected by a link 51 (Figs. 5, 6, 17 and 21) to an arm' fixed to the operating shaft 55 of the ribbon feed mechanism. Near each ofthe ends of the shaft 58 is a fixed arm, each of which carries a spring urged saw-toothed actuating rack 59 for the ribbon spool ratchets for feeding the inking ribbon 60. The ribbon reverse mechanism will be described under a separate heading.

third position or level indicating a zero, perfo- Codes and their interpretation For the purpose of explanation four usual types of codes will be briefly described.

Straight or ZS-column code As shown in 'Fig. 29, the straight or 45 column code utilizes one perforation in each column to indicate a single digit of the recorded number,

perforations at the top of the card indicating the number 12, perforations at the second position indicating the number 11", perforations at the rations at the fourth level or position indicating the digit 1, and so on to the bottom of the card.

Alphabetic codes ters-are ones of comparatively infrequent occurrence-and hence the context will clearly indicate the character intended. Indeed an arbitrary sign such as may be used instead of any of these letters.

Combination or 90-.colum n code Fig. 31 shows the perforations according to the combination or 90 column code in which the customary card is divided into upper and lower fields. Half of each column of the older 45 column code system is utilized for all ten digits by means of a system of single and double perforations, the even numbered digits being indicated by two perforations.

Control perforation interpreting senting a column across the card. A represen tation of all the digits in both upper and lower QO-column codes and certain words according to the foregoing codes are shown in Fig. 24.

The first or 45-column numeric code is transformed into a mechanical code by elevating a single stop at a position corresponding to the location of the perforations in the card. The familiar Powers sensing box has always been able to interpret thiscode, The specific means used in the present instance is best shown in Fig. 16, and consists of a series of slidable stops 35, any one of which may be elevated and temporarily retained in the path of a spring urged measuring bar 36, which is connected through toothed gearing to the type wheel 31; Obviously 11 and 12 stops 35 may or may not be used, nevertheless they are usually provided for the contingency of printing an interpretation of British or English currency.

The second, or alphabet code is interpreted in a similar manner for the first half of the alphabet. (See Fig. 14.) In this case the spring urged measuring element 36 is limited by a raised stop 35 in the path of the pawl 38 pivoted to element 36. In the case of the latter half of the alphabet the 12 stop 35 is raised as well as one other. In this case the 12 stop elevates the pawl 38 so that theextreme end of element 36 abuts against the positioned stop, thus permitting an excess of movement equivalent toabout half the pitch of the stops 35. The structure of Fig. 14 is shown in its position of full travel. Under normal operating conditions, the member 36 is drawn to the extreme right by the-bail member of Figs. 2, 3, 5, 8, 19 and 26. With the member 36 in the righthand positi0n,-one of the stops (except the one marked 12) may-be elevated, whereupon the bail 33 may be released and the end of the member 38, as shown, will be arrested by the raised stop 3'5 to give a desired number. If, however, the stop member 12 is also raised, the member 38 being pivoted on the member 38 will be raised above the ends of the stops 35 and the end of the member 38, shown adjacent to the member 38, will contact with the edges of the stops 35. It may be noted that the end of the member 38 projects beyond the end of the member 36 by an amount substantially equal to half of the pitch, or distance of separation of the stop members 35. Say, for example. the four is elevated, the member 36 will advance to a given point until the end of the member 38 contacts with the stop to position the wheel 31 for the printing of a given letter. If. however, the stop 35 numbered 12 is also. raised, the swinging member 38 is elevated, allowing the member 36 to advance a half pitch step further, thereby bringing the next adjacent character on the Wheel 31 into printing position. The type wheel 31 is driven as before. Obviously the characters thereon are arranged with the second half of the alphabet interspersed with the first half. Fig. 28.) Certain rarely used or strikingly similar characters are combined, for example 0 and Q; U and V; X and Z, as is indicated in Figs. 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33; The last two columns will be explained at the end of the next paragraph for I it is really a combination of the described alphabetic code and the 90-column numerical code.

The third and fourth, or 90-column codes are interpreted in a manner analogous to that used for the last half of the alphabet, except that the provision of the half-pitch movement is effected by the particular arrangement of the stops 35. (See Figs. 8, l5, and 25.) All the odd digits are interpreted in exactly the manner described for the first code by the positioning of a single stop 35. The even digits are interspersed with the odds, therefore, an increase in movement of a hat stop pitch will sufiice to interpret them. 'I'ne extra movement is attained by elevating either the 3 or the 9 stop, or both. Each of these stops is arranged with a trapezoidal projection, (see Fig. 25) whose narrow side normally rests against a fixed pin. but when such stop is raised the corresponding spring urged measuring member 35 will travel an additional (See 

